Difference Between Anything and Nothing

Anything is possible in this world, and we live with these possibilities. We can do anything, have anything we desire, and believe anything we want. There is nothing that can prevent us from what we believe we can become.

Reading these words will make you wonder, what is ‘anything’? What is ‘nothing’? It is very hard to describe ‘anything’ and even harder to explain what ‘nothing’ is.

‘Anything’

‘Anything’ is any object, event, fact, state, or act. It is all that exists either seen or unseen. It is something or an idea that has essence; existing by exhibiting the potential of being and becoming something. It is an indefinite pronoun that is used instead of a noun or noun phrases. It is used to describe something that exists and is present like an object that you can touch, an event that you can witness, a fact that you are certain of, or an act that can affect others.

‘Nothing’

Nothing is the concept that describes the lack of anything. It is used to describe an unimportant thing, event, state, or act. It is the state of nonexistence and of not having anything. It is an indefinite pronoun, and it is sometimes being used as a noun, which is incorrect since it does not function as a noun because it refers to no object, event, state, or act. It refers to something or the absence of something.

This is due primarily to man’s conscious observance of both things that are present and absent. Atomists contend that a void or nothingness can cause motion. It exists to allow atoms to come together and move apart causing motion. It does not have essence but can be real. Some philosophers contend that there are actually two kinds of being, things that physically exist and can be seen and touched, and those that are only in our consciousness.

Buddhists believe that ‘nothing’ is a state of mind that allows them to achieve a certain level of focus. Atheists, on the other hand, use the concept of ‘nothing’ to disprove the existence of God.

In mathematics, the number zero means ‘nothing.’ An empty set has nothing inside. In computing, nothing is used in lieu of something that is unassigned or to denote data abstraction. It is used to symbolize a number that is skipped and is achieved by typing ‘NULL, NUL, NIL, NONE.’ If you want the computer to do nothing, you can type ‘NOP.’

Summary:

1. ‘Anything’ is any object, event, fact, state, or act while ‘nothing’ is the concept that describes the lack of anything.
2. ‘Anything’ is something or an idea that has an essence while ‘nothing’ has no essence.
3. ‘Anything’ is something that exists while ‘nothing’ is something that does not.
4. Both are pronouns. ‘Anything’ is used in lieu of ideas, events, acts, or objects that are real while ‘nothing’ is used for those that are nonexistent.

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Written by : Emelda M.
and updated on March 6, 2011

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